There's no way of getting around it. The 65th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, which aired Sunday night, got really weird. Perhaps Neil Patrick Harris put it best when he announced, "This just in: No one in America is winning their office Emmy pool."
The string of unlikely winners in nearly every category was so extensive that it warranted one of our society's greatest awards of recognition, a trending hashtag. #WeirdEmmys covered the full gamut of awkward moments that occurred Sunday night, from Jeff Daniels winning Outstanding Actor in a Drama for his performance on "The Newsroom," over Bryan Cranston, John Hamm and Kevin Spacey, to that deliciously uncomfortable photobomb of Neil Patrick Harris by comedy writer Paul Greenberg.
Viewers were left feeling unsettled as the usual recipients of awards were passed over in favor of the more unlikely candidates. Merrit Wever surprisingly grabbed the title of Outstanding Supporting Actress in Comedy for her role in "Nurse Jackie"over the formidable females of Modern Family. Her victory culminated in one of the best acceptance speeches of all time: "Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Um, I gotta go, bye." It was weird.
As new nominees took titles, long lasting traditions of dominance were broken. "The Colbert Report" won for Outstanding Variety Series, ending "The Daily Show" and Jon Stewart's 10-year monopoly. "The Amazing Race" was passed over in the category of Outstanding Reality Competition in favor of "The Voice," only the second time that has happened since "Amazing Race" was created.
One legacy of the Emmys to continue was the domination of "Modern Family." "Modern Family" took home its fourth consecutive win for Outstanding Comedy, proving that no matter how many science-related puns or tales of 20-something misadventures air on television, we will never get as much joy from them as we do from laughing at our families.
Though the #WeirdEmmys had its fair share of awkwardness, some series simply could not be passed up. "Breaking Bad" broke the odd aura haunting the award show by winning Outstanding Drama Series for the first time, despite being nominated thrice before. Seeing "Breaking Bad" take home the award a week before AMC will air its series finale was just what fans needed to be pushed over the edge into a preemptive depression about the ending of their favorite story. And by fans, I mean America. In the five year span of its airing, the number of viewers has skyrocketed from 1.2 million viewers at its inception to an astounding 8.5 million at its culmination. In the span of season 5.2 alone, nearly three million more viewers tuned in. If "Breaking Bad" hadn't won in its category, I'm positive that a revolt much stronger than a twitter fight would have ensued.
Though Sunday was a strange night indeed, its high points were quite memorable. Amy Poehler and Tina Fey heckling Neil Patrick Harris to twerk was a superb tip of the hat to the lesser, albeit more interesting VMAs. Tiny Fey read the mind of America, saying what we all have wanted to say, when she thanked the Pope for "just being cool about some stuff." All in all, three-time Emmy winning host Neil Patrick Harris and his choreographed routines brought the night together. The 65th Emmy Awards certainly won't be forgotten, if for nothing else, because of its status as #twitterfamous.
#EmmysFashion
One of the most redeeming qualities of an award show is the opportunity to judge the fashion choices of those who are much more wealthy and successful than you. Let's face it, one of the only things that will make you feel better about sitting in your oversized sweatpants on a Sunday night, simultaneously shoveling popcorn into your mouth and watching Sofia Vergara saunter down the red carpet in a jaw dropping Vera Wang gown is to say that Lena Dunham's Prada dress resembled your grandmother's tablecloth. (Side note: I do love Lena Dunham and usually admire her bold choices.)
Perhaps equally at fault was Julianne Hough in her ultra sheer dress that revealed a leotard-looking contraption fit more for her role on "Dancing with the Stars" than a trip to the Emmys. Jim Parsons, who would later win Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy, looked very dapper in a classic black tux, making "Big Bang Theory" fans go "Bazinga!" The ever tasteful Zooey Deschanel cannot go unmentioned. She wore a light blue gown that was so elegant, yet youthful, it made every girl long to be her best friend all over again. Rose Byrne looked equally stunning in a light pink Calvin Klein dress paired with relaxed, wavy hair.
Perhaps simplicity was the way to win over the red carpet. After all, something must be saved for Oscar season.
Contact Ally Scruggs at ascrugg1@nd.edu
